DSM Foundation leaves X and Bluesky

Drug education charity the DSM Foundation has refined its social media presence following a decision to step away from the platforms X and Bluesky.

Founder and director Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE stated: “Our concerns about retaining a presence on X have been ever growing, alongside our ever deepening unease at changes progressively made since it was taken over by Musk. Our decision to stay on the platform has been constantly revisited in light of this, and we’ve stayed all this time only because so many schools we work with are active on X and communicate with their parents and caregivers there. However, this is no longer sufficient reason to remain in an online space that has become so toxic, with cuts to safety measures for children and values espoused that clash profoundly with our own.”

The charity will retain its channels on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and has its own website at www.dsmfoundation.org.uk.

Information for editors:

The DSM Foundation is a drug education charity established in 2014 following the death of 16 year old Daniel Spargo-Mabbs from an accidental overdose of ecstasy. His family felt that he simply hadn’t known enough to be able to make decisions that would keep him safe, and realized there was a huge gap in the resources and support available to schools, so set up the charity in order to spare other families going through what they had experienced.

The aim of the DSM Foundation is to provide young people with relevant, age-appropriate, up to date and evidence-based information about drugs so they develop the skills to make choices that will keep themselves and their friends as safe as possible. To this end, the charity is currently working in almost 750 schools, colleges and community organisations with children and young people, and also provides workshops for parents and caregivers, and training for school and college staff – the two groups shown by NHS survey data as the most likely sources of information about drugs and alcohol sought out by 11-15 year olds. Educational settings are also able to access “I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won’t Die”, a verbatim play by Mark Wheeller that was commissioned by the charity to tell Dan’s story in the words of his family and friends, through studying the work itself (sometimes due to it being a GCSE Drama set text on the Eduqas syllabus), or booking a Theatre in Education performance. Schools and colleges can also download age-appropriate, relevant, up to date and evidence-based drugs education lesson resources free of charge from the DSM Foundation website for delivery by teachers through PSHE/PSE provision.

For more information about the DSM Foundation, go to https://www.dsmfoundation.org.uk/.

Media enquiries about this press release or the work of the DSM Foundation should be sent to media@dsmfoundation.org.uk.